When you visit a Toyota plant in Japan, the United States, or elsewhere, you can’t help but notice that chimes and music are playing almost continually. What triggers the helpful cacophony? It’s a team member reaching up and pulling the famous “Andon cord.”
Since Toyota seeks perfection, one way they assure quality at the source is by empowering every team member to point out problems, admit mistakes, and share concerns by pulling that cord. Doing so prompts a timely and helpful response from a team leader. The Andon cord technology is relatively simple and easily copied, but the Andon system is built upon many principles and ideal behaviors necessary for others to make it work. Other organizations can’t replicate the benefits of a system by copying pieces of it.
At Toyota, pulling the Andon cord is an expectation—part of one’s job. I’ve heard it described as an environment of, “If in doubt [about a concern], pull the cord!” With a rigid mandate like “Thou shalt pull the Andon cord,” team members might feel reluctant or resistant. Ultimately, the act of pulling the cord or speaking up in any workplace (or choosing not to do so) is an individual choice—and it’s a function of the team culture.
As Toyota demonstrates so vividly, conditions must be present for people to choose speaking up over keeping quiet, primarily these two:
Psychological Safety is defined as the feeling or perception that one can speak candidly at work without facing fear or threats of punishment. It’s an individual perception or belief. Each of us decides how safe we feel in each team or situation based on how we’ve been treated in the past—and presently.
As Jeff Liker and Mike Hoseus wrote in their book Toyota Culture:
“Without trust in their employers, employees are reluctant to admit to the existence of problems and learn that it is safest to hide them… [and people must] feel psychologically and physically safe … they must believe that any concerns they have will be taken very seriously.”
Psychological Safety is that feeling of safety. Effective problem-solving means that concerns are taken seriously — which means action that prevents future problems and improves results.
If speaking up is safe and effective, people will make that choice. If team members fear being punished or marginalized for pointing out problems, admitting mistakes, or sharing improvement ideas, they’ll choose to keep quiet. They’re protecting themselves, but this ends up hurting the company.
We cannot solve hidden problems. Too many organizations have made big investments in problem-solving training for frontline employees. But I’ve seen that investment go to waste because people were punished for bringing problems forward. The solution isn’t more problem-solving training, and the solution isn’t a mandate to speak up. That just doesn’t work.
The Shingo Institute teaches us that principles inform ideal behaviors. When employees speak up, leaders must respect every individual by listening calmly and reacting constructively to what they see and hear. A culture of continuous improvement requires ideal behaviors, including not blaming individuals for systemic problems (as Dr. Deming taught many decades ago). Leaders must focus on process—as I heard a Toyota leader say recently, “Critique the process, not the people.”
For problem solving to take root, leaders must address the “fear factor” by behaving in ways that cultivate that feeling of Psychological Safety. Again, that feeling of safety cannot be mandated. Research shows that the following high-level leader behaviors cultivate the feeling of Psychological Safety:
Examples of candor that must be actively rewarded (not punished and not merely tolerated) include saying things like:
It’s powerful when leaders model candor because they set an active example for their employees. Modeling such candor allows the leader to more effectively encourage employees to speak up candidly. Encouraging people to speak candidly without also modeling those behaviors isn’t as effective—since employees might believe they’re hearing empty words.
That’s why leaders must then reward people for speaking up. Psychological Safety doesn’t mean we’re protected from others disagreeing with us. Psychological Safety means that one feels safe to disagree—and the person they’re talking with hopefully feels safe to disagree, having a discussion based on the merit of an idea rather than deferring to the most powerful person’s view.
As leaders progress in reducing the fear factor by cultivating a sense of Psychological Safety, the investment in problem-solving training can be unleashed. Effective problem-solving is key; otherwise, we’re just replacing the “fear factor” with a “futility factor,” where people say things like, “It’s not dangerous to speak up… it’s just not worth the effort because nothing ever changes.”
The continuous improvement cycle begins with people speaking up or pulling the Andon cord. Remember that an individual’s ability and willingness to speak up is not a function of courage or character. It’s a function of culture.
What would happen if a Toyota team member took a new job at a company that didn’t have the same Andon system and culture? I’d predict the first time they got yelled at for stopping the line might be the last time they pulled the cord in that new culture. And I bet that the team member wouldn’t be willing to share improvement ideas either.
The same person, in two different settings (including myself), might feel different levels of Psychological Safety based on how one is being treated by leaders and peers. Again, it’s a function of culture, which is driven by behaviors and beliefs.
If your organization is struggling with employee engagement and participation, even after providing them with world’s best problem-solving education and training—it’s time to step back and focus on the foundation of Psychological Safety.
To build a culture where continuous improvement thrives, start by assessing the current state of psychological safety within your organization. Ask yourself:
By focusing on these areas, organizations can create a foundation for continuous improvement beyond pulling the Andon cord. It’s about creating a culture where every voice is heard and every problem is an opportunity for improvement.
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